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25th June 2019

Can a dental implant break?

Unfortunately, just like your natural teeth, your dental implant can break if you don’t give it the correct aftercare and attention. Once healed, your dental implant needs very little specialist care – all we ask is that you attend regular check-ups so we can check for any wear and tear. We’ve decided to put together some information on how your dental implant could be at risk of breaking and how to avoid it.

Your dental implant in 3 parts

Your dental implant is made up of three parts, and each of these parts could be at risk of breaking if you don’t look after it properly. The titanium root fits into your jawbone, the connective abutment fixed onto this, and the crown (or the part that looks like a tooth) is then secured onto this.

How you could risk breaking your dental implant

Your crown and connective abutment could come under unusual pressure when you use them to bite or chew through resistant materials. They’re built to withstand most foods, so day-to-day chewing once you are fully healed shouldn’t pose a problem. However, if you’re using your teeth and dental implant to chew through labels, packages, and other resistant materials then you’re going to be putting a lot of stress on the crown and abutment. Even if they don’t break straight away, the wear and tear caused could drastically detract from your dental implant’s lifespan. The titanium root itself can fail if you place too much pressure on it before its fully healed and integrated into your jaw. It’s important we wait for this healing to happen before a crown is fitted.

How to fix a broken dental implant

You can’t do this at home, so you’ll need to visit your dentist. If the crown or abutment breaks, we only need to replace this part and not the whole implant. If the root fails or breaks, the whole dental implant will need to be replaced and this can be a lengthy process as the bone may need time to heal and regenerate.

How to avoid breaking your dental implant

Don’t eat hard foods like crusty bread

Don’t chew ice

Don’t use your teeth to bite through materials that aren’t food

Speak to your dentist if you have a history of teeth grinding or clenching

Follow your dentist’s aftercare advice

If you notice changes in your healing, contact your dentist

Dental implants in Beeston, Nottingham

If you’re considering dental implants in Beeston, contact us on 0115 9254 169 to discuss your treatment suitability today. The professionals at Beeston Dental Practice will be happy to meet with you and discuss your needs.